Lots located in areas of irregular topography, along a water edge, or near other unusual natural features may be more irregular in configuration. Lot
A lot, sometimes referred to as a parcel, is the area of ground on which a single-family residence is located (Figure 6—2). A setback is the minimum distance that any portion of a structure, such as the house or garage, must be located from a given property line. Although there are no standard lot sizes, a designer is apt to encounter a range of typical sizes. A bearing is the horizontal direction of a property line expressed in degrees east or west of true north or south. Average: VA acre 6-t4,
Medium: l/2-ССгe
Figure 6-5
Typical notation of bearings and distances on property lines. The property owner is responsible for the
Figure 6-9
Sample setbacks. Right-of-ways are regulated by the local governing body such as a village, township, city, or even county. maintenance of the boulevard but is usually restricted about what landscape treatment is permitted next to the street. Consequently, most property lines and corners are found immediately adjacent to the edge of the sidewalk. Thus, it is necessary to check with the appropriate local government office to determine the regulations pertaining to the right-of-way. Therefore, no structures or sizable plant materials should be located in an easement. A plot plan typically includes the following information:
N90°E 117.5′
Figure 6-6
Example of a plot plan. Each of these is a common expression used to define and/or graphically represent a residential site (Figure 6—1). The boulevard is sometimes the location of underground utilities and is where most street trees are planted if no utilities are present. Base Map
street (Figure 6—3). As can be seen, these terms are similar to each other and thus easily confused. The easement may straddle a property line and be shared by adjoining properties, or it may occur entirely inside the lot. The average width of a right-of-way is 60 feet in a residential area, although the width may vary from 30 feet to 120 feet. Like the sidewalk, the boulevard is under the jurisdiction of the local municipality, a surprise to some homeowners who think they own all the ground between their house and the street edge. INTRODUCTION
The previous chapter addressed guidelines for meeting the clients and determining their vision for the landscape. This chapter addresses site measuring and base map preparation including (1) terms related to this phase of work, (2) sources of information, (3) guidelines and techniques for taking and recording field measurements, and (4) procedures for drawing a base sheet and base map. Doing these tasks in a thoughtful and organized manner saves many headaches later in the design process. That is, a structure must be “set back” or built at least a specified number of feet from the property line. Figure 6-3
Typical lot configurations. Utility companies have the freedom to locate utilities above or below ground, to excavate into ground, and move equipment within the easement for maintenance. Small lot 1/8 of an acre
Average lot 1/4 of an acre
Medium lot 1/2 of an acre
Large lot 1 acre or greater
A lot is bounded by property lines, which are invisible lines defining the sides or edges of a lot. Figure 6-8
The location of street, berm, and sidewalk within a right-of-way. This is sometimes called a plat or plot. a professional surveyor and so is sometimes referred to as a site survey. These are listed next and shown in Figure 6—4 in relation to the size of one acre of land, which is 43,560 square feet, approximately 208′ X 208′. A boulevard, also referred to as a berm or tree lawn, is the strip of land located between the sidewalk and street edge (Figure 6—8). Chapter 7 discusses how to undertake a site inventory and site analysis. If such obstructions are placed in an easement, a utility company has the right to remove and not replace them. • Property lines
• Bearings and distances of the property lines
• House footprint including overall dimensions
• Other structures like detached garages, walls, fences, and so on
• Orientation of the lot in relation to true north
• Right-of-ways
• Sidewalks and boulevards
• Setbacks and easements
The right-of-way is the publicly owned area of land along the front of a lot that includes the street or road, sidewalk if one is present, and boulevard (Figures 6—7 and 6—8). This step culminates when the “Proposal for Design Services” is signed by both the designer and the clients, thus formalizing the agreement between the two parties. Iron pins or other permanent markers embedded in the ground typically identify the corners of a lot. An easement is a strip of land, usually situated along the sides or back of the lot, along which others (often utility companies) have the legal right of access (Figure 6—10). A landscape designer should be aware of setbacks because they typically restrict the location of site structures such as fences, walls, gazebos, pool buildings, and so on, especially in the front yard.
